Attachment for ink bottles



July 25, 1950 YU-LUN FOK ATTACHMENT FOR INK BOTTLES Filled June 27, 1947 INVENTOR YU- LUN FOK BY ATT'ORNEY Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE "2,516,511 I ATTACHMENTFOR INK BOTTLES Yu-Lun Fok, San Francisco, Calif. Application June 27 1947', Serial Nol 757,557

This invention relates to attachments'ior ink bottles or the like and, more particularly, to improvements in caps or closures adapted for use with ink containers or the like.

The vexatious problem in the use of fountain pens, quills or other ink Writing implements has always been that of cleaning or wiping the writing portion of the implement after use. Particularlyin the use of fountain pens has therebeen a problem of cleaning the barrel of the pen adjacent to the point after the pen to be filled has been inserted into ink. Normally and customarily, blotting paper or other absorbent material is used to clean off that part of the pen adjacent to the point in order that the ink which adheres to the barrel of the pen, or droplets carried by the pen point, does not soil the hands or clothing of the user. Absorbent material, blotting paper or the like is not always available at the time of refilling the pen, and it is generally an inconvenient but necessary operation.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a means whereby the point of a pen and the barrel portion adjacent to the point may be wiped or cleaned thoroughly without necessity of locating and using a piece of blotting paper or other similar material.

A further object is to provide a pen point wiping means which is formed as a part of a closure of an ink container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means to clean or wipe the point of the pen and the barrel part adjacent to the point free of ink which adheres thereto by a convenient and simple operation wherein only one hand need be used to accomplish the desired result.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a closure for ink wells or ink containers of conventional character which is provided with pen-wiping means and wherein the exterior form of the closure or cap is conventional in configuration and poses no special packaging problems.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a closure or cap for conventional ink containers which is provided with a pen wiping or cleaning means and which is designed as an inducement to the sale of ink packaged in the container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a container for ink, having pen wiping means carried by the closure of the container and which said wiping means is designed for convenient access.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hollow member carried. by a closure 4 Claims. (Cl. 120 108) 2 for an inkbottle or the like and adapted td be utilized as a wiping means for pens or similar instruments and which is simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and package. I

Other objects and advantages will become ap+ parent upon reference to the specification and accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts inth'e several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawingsi Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ink container and closure embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of an ink corn tainer "with a closure, embodying the present invention, attached thereto.

Referring to the drawings, the invention comprises, essentially, a closure, indicated generally at 2, adapted to be connected removably to the neck portion 3 of a conventional ink container, generally indicated at 4, by means of a conventional thread or snap connection. As illustrated herein, the closure 2 is circular in configuration as is the usual type. However, it is understood that varying shapes of containers and closures therefor may embody the present invention, as will shortly appear. The closure 2 comprises a top or cover piece 5 and an annular, depending flange 6 formed with threads for screw connection to the neck 3 of the container 4.

An aperture is provided in the cover 5, as at I, in communication with a depending hollow memher 8, carried by the cover 5. The member 8, preferably cylindrical, is provided with a bottom 9 and the various parts 5, 8 and 9 are either formed integrally or attached to one another in such a way as to prevent fluid access. Disposed within the hollow member 8 is a lining of felt E2, or other absorbent material. Thus the vertically depending walls of member 8 are provided with a layer of felt or like material and, preferably, the felt is built up adjacent to the bottom of the well to form a restricted portion adapted to contact the point of a pen inserted into the said well. The restricted portion of felt lining is indicated at 13.

In operation, the user of a container equipped with the present invention may fill a fountain pen in conventional manner and may then insert the point of the pen into the member 8 in order to wipe ink therefrom which adheres to the point or barrel of the pen adjacent to the point. The lined member is of a diameter to accommodate pens of conventional size and shape. In this regard the lining of absorbent material disposed within the hollow member may enable insertion of pens of varying diameters inasmuch as the said absorbent material is somewhat resilient.

It is contemplated that the cover 5, member 8 and bottom 9 may be formed of metal although it is possible that the member a and the bottom thereof may be formed of other suitable material, such as plastic, rubber, or the like, and suitably attached to the bottom of the cover in order to prevent liquid leakage.

While the present invention is set forth in rather specific detail with reference to the drawings for purposes of clarity of illustration and example, it is to be understood that various changes, alterations and modifications in the present invention may be practiced within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure for ink containers comprising a cover piece, an aperture in said cover piece, a liquid-tight, hollow, elongated member connected to said cover piece and depending therefrom and substantially coaxially aligned with said aperture, and a lining of ink absorbent material attached interiorly to the walls of said elongated member and substantially from top to bottom thereof.

2. A closure for ink containers comprising a cover piece, an aperture in said cover piece, a liquid-tight, hollow, elongated, cylindrical member connected to said cover piece and depending therefrom and substantially coaxially aligned with said aperture, and a lining of ink absorbent material attached interiorly to the walls of said elongated member and substantially from top to bottom thereof.

3. A closure for ink containers comprising a cover piece, a substantially centrally disposed aperture in said cover piece, a liquid-tight, hollow, elongated, cylindrical member connected to said cover piece and depending therefrom and substantially coaxially aligned with said aperture, and a resilient lining of ink absorbent material secured in said hollow member to the walls of said elongated member substantially from top to bottom thereof, said lining formed substantially V-shaped in cross section adjacent to the bottom thereof, the maximum diameter of said lined member being substantially the same as the diameter of the barrel of a standard size fountain pen.

4. A closure for ink containers, according to claim 3, and wherein the top edge of the lining is substantially flush with the top of the cover piece and at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the hollow member.

YU-LUN FOK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 44,381 Bailey Sept. 27, 1864 280,418 ,Ustick July 3, 1883 671,171 Russell Apr. 2, 1901 1,861,171 Zimmermann May 31, 1932 2,225,138 Traylor Dec. 17, 1940 

